Philippines Intervenes for Crew Stranded for Months on Unseaworthy Vessel

The Philippines authorities worked with local crewing agencies and others to resolve a pay dispute and release a crew that had been stranded on a small cargo ship anchored in the Iloilo Strait. The crew, which had been signed on in April, was in a standoff with the owners who were refusing their pay, and provisions, until the ship departed, while the crew contended the vessel was unseaworthy.

A newly elected representative for Iloilo City, Julienne “Jam Jam” Baronda took an interest in the crew’s plight and intervened to negotiate the resolution. Six Filipino crew were removed from the vessel on June 30 and taken to a hotel, and are receiving medical evaluation before their repatriation, while seven Indian crewmembers were expected to leave the vessel on Tuesday, July 1.

The crew was signed on at the beginning of April by apparently a new owner of the 6,749 dwt general cargo ship. The vessel, which was built in 2005, was operated by Chinese owners till possibly 2024. Philippine media reports that the owner is now in the UAE, and the vessel is showing the name of Hirman Star, registered in the Comoros. Equasis and other databases show the vessel as Dong Hong Shun and the flag and manager as unknown.

The vessel arrived in the Philippines in August 2024 transporting bags of rice from Vietnam. The Philippines undertook a Port State Inspection and listed 27 deficiencies in a broad range of categories and issued a detention order. Reports indicate they questioned the seaworthiness of the vessel and found expired certificates.

The crew was changed twice, with the current crew coming aboard on April 3 and told to prepare for a voyage to Singapore. The Philippines lifted the detention order in April, and the Port Authority granted port clearance on May 7.

According to the media reports, the vessel was preparing to depart when the gyro compass malfunctioned. The captain contends the owners told the vessel to sail using just a magnetic compass, but the master refused, citing concerns. The crew also reported the vessel was listing and attempting to rectify the list, said they found a crack in the bulbous bow causing water ingress. 

The standoff began with the crew refusing to sail saying the ship was unseaworthy. The owners stopped the delivery of food and water on May 12. Further, the reports said they only paid partial wages in April and none in May, saying the crew would not be paid until the vessel departed.

 

Philippine authorities were permitted to board the vessel to begin the reparation process (Jam Jam Baronda)

 

Baronda convened a meeting with the Philippines’ Department of Migrant Workers, the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration, as well as the Philippine Coast Guard, the Bureaus of Immigration and Customs, and MARINA on Monday, June 30. She also spoke with the crewing agencies and the vessel owner, who reportedly had a representative from the UAE in the Philippines.

An agreement was reached to settle the pay issues and to immediately provide provisions to the vessel. Baronda and other officials went to the vessel to meet with the crew. The Philippines is also providing financial assistance to the crewmembers and assisting with the reparations for the Filipinos. The Indian Embassy is assisting the Indian crew.

Multiple groups, including the International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF), have been pushing for more action over issues of crew abandonment and enforcement of the terms of the master labor contract for seafarers. ITF warned in May that the industry is on track for a record number of abandonments unless action is taken.